As she sat on a park bench in the middle of Central Park, she couldn’t get over how beautiful and peaceful it was. The trees may have long ago lost their leaves and the grass may have looked almost dead due to the winter air, but Mother Nature was beautiful. Isla couldn’t help but feel blessed to be able to once again sit in the middle of it, rather than watch from a closed window. Looking at the picture-perfect view in front of her, Isla couldn’t believe she was in the centre of the most famous city in the world.

Although it was so cold, Isla couldn’t help but think how nice it was to be able to sit outside and feel the harsh wind against her cheek, breathe in the cold air, and just be able to be normal, even for just a little while.

Couples were walking hand in hand, children were screaming and running around and people just looked happy to enjoy the day. She’d always loved to be able to people-watch. People passed her by and it made her wonder what people would see if they stopped to notice her. Would they see the tears she had shed? Would they notice the finger marks around her neck. What would they see? Was it written all over her face that she was in hell, that she needed help?

About The Author

Elaine May is my Author name. I live in the West Country of England with my two beautiful daughters and yummy hubby. I love reading dark and twisted tales that mess with your head. I love to travel and spending time with my family. My dream is for people to like what I’ve written and hopefully get to go to a book signing event as an author.

Danae “Dani” Espinoza is on the run and desperate to escape the demons of her past. Plans to hide out in a sleepy Los Angeles suburb turn into a pipe dream as she is drawn into the secret filled world of the local motorcycle club. Dani soon learns that her secrets and lies are nothing compared to those kept behind the clubhouse doors. Trying to avoid the suspicious Vice President, she must keep a low profile in order to survive. The trouble is he has other ideas.

Bike…babes…and booze…

Tyler "Hero" Tobias has simple needs. Being the Heaven's Rejects MC Vice President, he has all three at his disposal. But he has his own ghosts that keep him awake at night. When Dani arrives at the clubhouse, he knows he should stay away but there is something about her dark beauty and the mystery that surrounds her that makes him burn. There are secrets in her eyes and lies in her smile and he knows he should put his club first, but Hero’s heart and loyalty are about to be tested.

Can an angel with blood-covered wings and the devil himself resist temptation or will they risk bringing hellfire down on everything that they love?

Cold.
All I can feel is a deep chill blanketing my body. My eyes open to complete
darkness as a voice calls to me. Its muffled tones send
shivers down my spine with every garbled word. A sense of familiarity floats
around me as its words become clearer.

“Run, Dani,” it pleas from beyond the black
veil shrouding the room. “Escape while you can,” it continues. Panic courses
through my veins. Where in the hell am I? Why can’t I see anything? The pleas
go unanswered as my voice fails to render sound.

“Help!” I scream internally, “Please, fucking
help me!”

The voice’s call fades with each word. “You
need to get the hell out of here, Dani. You need to move. Find a wall and
escape,” I coach to myself. A cold chill of air sweeps into the darkness
encompassing me as I try to feel the place around me. My fingers plunge into a
dense, sticky liquid as I crawl forward causing my body to slide with each
movement. A hard surface is finally inching its way under my fingers.

Crawling upwards, I splay my hands against the
cool wall. “You’re on your feet, Dani. The hardest part is over now. Time to
find a door or a light switch, something to get us out of here,” my internal
coach continues.

Keeping close to the wall, I finally find a
switch. Flicking it upwards, the light shines brilliantly. As my eyes adjust to
the light, my hands come into my vision. A scream barrels out of my throat when
I see the sticky, red blood covering my hands and clothes. My heart races as I frantically wipe
the blood away. Blood begins to pool at my feet, inching toward me. Rushing
away from the blood, I fall backward into a solid, but warm obstacle. Before I
can turn around, hands grasp my arms as a person’s hot breath trails down my
neck.

“Hello, Dani,” a different voice whispers in
my ear. “Welcome to Hell. You’re mine now,” the voice crackles as my body is
pulled into black oblivion.

Avelyn Paige is a born and raised Indiana girl. She may be a Hoosier by birth, but she’s a Boilermaker by choice! Avelyn lives in rural Indiana with her pastor husband, 2 spoiled cats, and one very odd looking dog. She’s an oncology research scientist by day and a writer and book review blogger by night. She enjoys reading anything she can get her hands, baking, and spending time with her friends and family.

Never intending to ever write her own book, the idea behind the Damaged series came to her on a drive to work early one morning thinking about her father who’d recently passed away. His strength during his cancer and rare blood disease battle inspired Avelyn to do something she’s never thought about before. She’s excited to see where this wild ride takes her.